LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies took four men into custody early Tuesday morning in connection to a series of commercial burglaries in Lake and Mendocino counties.

The sheriff’s office credited the arrests to “quick action, strong teamwork, and solid communication between agencies.”

Around 3:45 a.m. Tuesday, the Lake County Sheriff’s Dispatch received a report that four individuals forced entry into Upper Lake Grocery by smashing the front door. 

About 10 minutes later, Sheriff’s Dispatch received another report of a burglary in progress at Dollar General in Nice, along with a suspect vehicle description.

Deputies responded to both locations, but the suspects had already taken off, reportedly heading eastbound on Highway 20, officials said.

A deputy monitoring radio traffic positioned along the highway spotted a vehicle matching the description and conducted a traffic stop due to an obstructed rear license plate. The sheriff’s office said additional deputies arrived and detained the four individuals inside the vehicle.

During the investigation, deputies found a large amount of U.S. currency and a significant quantity of merchandise believed to be stolen from the Lake County businesses.

Inside the vehicle were numerous cartons of cigarettes, cigars, lottery tickets, phone chargers, coin rolls, loose currency, and other stolen items, along with burglary tools, including a crowbar.

While deputies were still on scene, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office advised that they were investigating a burglary earlier that morning at the Forks Ranch Market in Ukiah. The property located inside the suspect vehicle closely matched items reported stolen in that case as well.

Mendocino County deputies responded to assist and confirmed the suspects were in possession of stolen property from the Forks Ranch Market. Investigators from the California Lottery also assisted with the stolen lottery products. 

Further investigation showed the vehicle and additional property were also linked to a burglary being investigated by the Ukiah Police Department.

“Thanks to strong collaboration between community members, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the Ukiah Police Department, and the California Lottery, the suspects were identified and taken into custody,” the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The following individuals were booked into the Hill Road Correctional Facility on felony charges related to burglary, vandalism, and possession of stolen property:

• Demare Burgess, 30, of San Leandro;
• Daniel Goodwin, 24, of Sacramento;
• Tobias Menefee, 26, of Sacramento;
• Simeon Reed, 23, of Sacramento.

The majority of the stolen property has been recovered and is being returned to the affected businesses, officials said.

Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing. 

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office thanked the public and its partner agencies for their quick reporting, teamwork and continued commitment to community safety. 

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Dispatch at 707-263-2690.